Improvement in grates



W. H. L'OTZ.

'GRATE. I No-.. 178,171. v Patented May 30,1876.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIO'E. I

WILLIAM H. LOTZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 178,17 1, dated May 30, 1876 application filed May 6, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. LoTz, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement in Grates for Heating Stoves and Furnaces, of which the following is a specification The first part of my invention relates to a novel means for hanging a rotary or mill grate in such a manner that it can be vibrated in a horizontal plane to sift out the ashes and smaller clinkers lying on its surface, or that it can be tilted from the rear edge to free it from larger clinkers, without disturbing or dislodging the incandescent fuel bridged in the lower part of the fire-pot.

The second part of my invention relates to the combination, with the aforesaid grate, of a ring or sector outside thereof, and in like manner arranged to tilt from the rear edge, it being also cast with fingers projecting rearward over the front half of the grate, which serve to break up the smaller and friable clinkers, and to support the superincumbent mass when the grate is lowered.

Figure l is a perspective view, showing the ash-pit of a furnace provided or fitted with my improved grate. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the center of the ash-pit and grate, showing the latter lowered. Fig. 3 is a plan of the grate and the supporting -frame upon which it vibrates. Fig. 4 is a plan of the fingered sector and its attachments.

In the drawing, A represents the ash pit of a furnace, having a circular opening under the ash pit, in which the grate is hung. B is a circular or mill grate, pivoted by a pin, a, in the angle of a V-shaped support, 0, on which it may be vibrated by a suitable handle inserted in a socket at the end of a lever, B, cast in one piece with the grate.

The rear ends of the frame 0 are hooked to engage with a supporting rock-shaft, b, rotating in brackets c c, projecting from the back wall of the ash-pit.

D is a cast-iron sector or cut ring, with its open ends extended to the rear, and turned downward to receive the rock-shaft b in holes drilled or cored in the pendent ends.

The ring D is larger in diameter than the grate, which it incloses, and is cast with fingers D which project to the rear over the front half of the grate.

The grate is supported in its elevated or horizontal position by resting the lever B upon a bracket, E, projecting from the side of the ash-pit. This bracket is of such length as to support the grate-lever while vibrating it to shake down the ashes; but if the grate is'to be lowered, as seen in Fig. 2, the said lever is moved beyond the end of said bracket, and then dropped.

Olinkers lying on the grate when lowered will roll off, while those lying 011 the fingers D may be pushed by introducing a poker between each pair, without disturbing the incandescent fuel bridged in the lower part of the fire-pot.

The ring D is supported by a lever, D that is too short to reach forward onto the bracket, but has pivoted to it a latch, D

over which a lug, d, overlaps the latch, which is long enough to rest upon the bracket, and thus support said ring. The latter is lowered only when the fire-pot is to be emptied, in which case the latch is first swung off the bracket, when the ring may be lowered with the grate. In replacing the latter its lever pushes the latch onto the bracket again. I do not wish to be confined to the lever, latch, and bracket for supporting the ring, as it is evident that it can be done in various ways.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination, with a grate adapted to be tilted or lowered from its rear edge, of an encircling ring or sector, having fingered projections extending over the front part of said grate, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a grate adapted to be tilted or lowered from its rear edge, of

an encircling ring or sector, having fingered projections extending over the front part of said grate, and normally supported above it, but adapted to be inclined therewith, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the vibratory grate and lever B B, pivoted to the frame 0, hung upon a rock-shaft at the rear of the ash-pit, with the ring D, having the fingered projections D and a means for supportingthefront ends of said grate and ring, substantially as described.

F. OPPENHEIM, GEO. FROMMANN. 

